HYDERABAD: Doctors from Medicover Hospital removed 50kg of lymphatic tissue from the leg of an 18-year-old girl from Somalia. The girl was diagnosed with elephant leg and underwent a 20-hour surgery.
The girl had been suffering with swelling in her leg for seven years, which gradually increased resulting in a massive extremity that hindered her movement and left her bedridden for three years.
She went to multiple hospitals in various countries and as there was no cure offered, she was referred to the vascular department of Medicover hospitals. After a thorough evaluation, the patient was diagnosed to have Lymphedema Nostrus Verrucosa, a rare condition in which the skin and subcutaneous tissues get enlarged.
It is associated with non-infectious factors, such as chronic lymphedema, obesity, or recurrent infections. This condition results in severe swelling, warty and verrucous skin changes, and a heavy burden on affected individuals’ quality of life. Management involves a combination of medical treatment, lifestyle modifications, and surgical interventions to alleviate the debilitating symptoms and improve the affected person’s well-being.
In the case of the girl, a surgical procedure was conducted and planned by the vascular surgical team, led by Dr Syed Mohammed Ali Ahmed, in collaboration with the plastic surgery team.
The patient underwent a procedure known as lymphovenous anastomosis, which involved debulking followed by skin grafting.
The doctors suggested that Lymphedema Nostrus Verrucosa can be effectively treated and awareness about it among the public is very important.